The path to liberation is through understanding the true nature of mind and matter through direct observation.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.

The difference between being caught in thoughts and being mindful of thoughts is like the difference between being in a movie and watching a movie.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

Every moment is a fresh beginning. Every breath is a new chance.

Our practice cannot be perfect, but without being discouraged by this, we should continue it. This is the secret of practice.

The way is basically perfect. It is not a matter of practice or enlightenment.

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.

Whatever we do, we should see ourselves. Reading books doesn't show us our defilements. Watch yourself. Watch your mind.

Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.

The root of suffering is not in the world outside us but in our own minds.

What you are is what you have been. What you'll be is what you do now.

The first noble truth of the Buddha is that life contains suffering. The second noble truth is that the cause of suffering is craving.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one's life.

The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and the better friend you become to yourself.

The archer ceases to be conscious of himself as the one who is engaged in hitting the bull's-eye which confronts him. This state of unconsciousness is realized only when, completely empty and rid of the self, he becomes one with the perfecting of his technical skill.

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.

All experiences are preceded by mind, having mind as their master, created by mind.

The restraint of the senses is not a matter of suppression but of wise attention to our experience.

The Buddha's teaching is a middle way between all extremes, between eternalism and annihilationism, between self-indulgence and self-torture.

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.

The ultimate source of happiness is not money and power, but warm-heartedness.

The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.

The mind is intrinsically empty. It's empty of all that we perceive as being intrinsically "me" and "mine."

The Buddha's teachings are not a religion, but a science of mind.

By understanding emptiness, one understands all phenomena. Without understanding emptiness, one understands nothing.

Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment.

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

The mind is the root from which all things grow. If you can understand the mind, everything else is included.